Lost in Thoughts All Alone
by BabyChocoboAlchemist
Summary: Inspired by the Fire Emblem Fates theme. Phoenix asks Maya for a favor, and that favor concerns someone Miles has been missing horribly-his father. Will the favor bring Phoenix and the Chief Prosecutor closer together, or will Edgeworth only be reminded of heartache, sorrow and loss? Narumitsu.
1. Chapter 1

Entry from the Author's Court Record: Hello out there. I'm writing this because I'm always wondering about the scars Miles Edgeworth carries, and how he masks them so carefully behind an eternally cool façade. I hope you're able to enjoy it!

Post Spirit of Justice, but no SoJ spoilers.

Headcanons say Phoenix refers to Clay as 'Mr Terran' out of tremendous respect and affection, along with everyone else.

* * *

 _My name is Phoenix Wright, and I'm a worry wart. But I have good reason to worry. I'm probably about to make the biggest mistake of my life, so who says I don't have the right to worry?_

 _This has been a long time coming, the candles lighting up our office, the gentle scents of lavender and cedar wafting through the air. Lovingly composed lullabies played by the world's greatest minstrels, all coming from my cd player. With Pearl's help, I was able to find music that would be nothing short of perfect for the occasion. While music shopping was exciting, particularly since Pearl made anything and everything fun, I couldn't keep myself from being an overly nervous grump. Why, you ask?_

 _Well, Chief, I asked Maya for a favor. And it's a favor she's more than happy to grant._

 _After all, she's still intent on paying him back for everything he did for her. Those cases, those nightmares, they all happened so long ago, but they're still fresh in her mind. Still new, still open, still able to be felt as though they were happening in the present. Wanting to rid him of his pain, his sorrow, Maya swore she wouldn't let anything stop her from repaying him. Pearl could have done it easily, but I knew just how badly Maya wanted to pay him back. Pearl knew just how badly she wanted to repay him. So, with my old friend at the top of her game, having mastered the sacred art of channeling, she decided she would jump right into what needed to be done._

 _What needed to be done, Chief?_

 _I asked her to channel Gregory Edgeworth for him._

 _The spirits of men weren't easily channeled, as the studies of Spirit Mediums focused primarily on channeling women. But with Maya being able to channel anyone at any time (according to her own testimony), granting my favor and repaying Edgeworth would be a cinch. 'Leave it to me', she told me with a wink, then gave me a thumbs-up. I think she's been spending too much time around Larry._

' _I'll make it so he can speak to his father as long as he wants to!'_

 _She knows. She knows the pain of being separated from someone she loves fiercely. She was separated from you for the longest time, Mia, being unable to channel you while we were on the Yanni Yogi case. Maya knows, so that's why she wants to make everything all right._

 _She wants to put an end to pain he's been carrying around for so long, and so do I._

 _The kids are out. Trucy's putting on a very special show at the GYAXA Space Center, with our Polly's help. Pearl's one of the many excited faces in the audience. The shows Trucy puts on at the Space Center are tributes to a certain friend Apollo never should have been forced to lose, not very long ago. She's learning a lot about astrology these days, wanting her shows at the Space Center to be the very best they can be. Apollo told me 'she's cramming her head with stars. Watch out, Boss. One day she might join Clay on the moon'._

 _With the warmest smile I had seen on Apollo's face in months, I laughed. Heartily._

 _Athena's working on a case. Apollo and I offered our help, but over and over again, Athena brushed us off, promising she had everything under control. 'Just you leave it to me, Boss,' she told me, flashing her victory sign with a grin that lit up the cosmos. 'I'll get things done! And I'll be sure to uphold our agency's reputation! Don't you worry about me!'_

 _So, with the kids occupied in their own corners of the universe, I was preparing myself to take a leap of faith. Either that, or a leap right into a chasm of darkness. Will Edgeworth hate me even more than he already does, or will I finally be able to see him smile?_

 _A question that just won't leave me alone._

 _Why is that even now, I don't know what I'm doing? Mia, I'm completely lost with you!_

* * *

"Earth to Nick! Earth to Nick! Still with me?"

With Maya Fey bopping him on the forehead with a fist, Phoenix Wright rushed back to the present. Sitting on the agency's sofa, immersed in a world of the softest scents, he found great relief in being a world he loved. A world he knew, held close to heart. He hadn't walked himself into traffic, being lost in his thoughts-something he almost managed to do, once.

Back to the present it was. There she was, the grand Lady Maya Fey, Master of Kurain's sacred art. Someone that had grown up exponentially in a matter of seconds, making him immeasurably proud in the process. No longer a giddy young girl but a giddy young lady, Maya had grown into someone magical, radiant, confident. And it was in his family's office she'd make a miracle happen.

Phoenix suggested she perform the channel back in Kurain Village, not at all wanting to be an inconvenience, especially with her recently becoming Master. But of course her thoughts were always on everyone else. "Chief Edgeworth might not want to come all the way out here," Maya indignantly told him over the phone, pouting in usual Maya style. "Let's keep it close to home! It'll be easier for him!"

So there they were, nestled inside the Wright Anything Agency's office, having completely transformed it into the most serene oasis. Candles aglow, scents bathing the world in grace, music as soft as the clouds above-only two pieces of the night were missing, and one piece was on his way there. "Sorry about that, Maya," Phoenix chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"Guess I'm just trying to figure something out."

Maya's face lit up with curiosity. She had grown leaps and bounds, but still could look very much like a puppy. "Like what?"

"Like if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life. Couldn't I just give him a bouquet of flowers and be done with it?"

She sighed, never impressed with his half-hearted attempts to evade challenges. "As if, Nick," she grumbled, putting her hands on her hips. "If your problems could be solved that easily, you would've done that long ago. We wouldn't even be here! Besides, why do you think you're making a big mistake? Won't it be wonderful for Chief Edgeworth to see his father?"

"I don't know. I feel like you've just asked me 'wouldn't it be wonderful if Apollo could relive Mr Terran's funeral?'. It's like I'm leading Edgeworth into traffic, and he's about to get hit by a diesel truck."

"Some things never change, I guess," the Master of Spirit Mediums groaned, slumping her shoulders over. "You're becoming more of an old man, but you're still the same grumpy, pessimistic Nick I've always known." And with that, Phoenix threw one of the sofa's pillows at her.

"Excuse me for being such a big worry wart! Can you blame me, though? Just think about it, Maya. 'Good evening, Edgeworth, thanks for coming! Why are you here? Well, I'll tell you. Remember all of that pain and grief you've been carrying about your father? Well, it's your lucky night because I'm about to force you to face it! Just my way of telling you I love you'. Seriously? What kind of confession is that going to be? Especially with the place looking like a romantic Italian restaurant!"

Maya sighed, sadness erupting. "Don't be mean, Nick, I tried really hard to recreate our channeling chamber," she whimpered, throwing the pillow back at him. He caught it and returned it to its rightful place on the throne.

"I know, I know, and thank you, but Edgeworth's never been inside a channeling chamber before so as soon as he walks in here, he's definitely going to get the wrong idea."

"Don't worry! As soon as he walks in here, he'll see his father, the great Gregory Edgeworth!"

Despite a million butterflies fluttering around in his stomach, Phoenix couldn't help but smile at her. For eons Edgeworth held an intense grudge against defense attorneys and Spirit Mediums, the latter putting distance between himself and Maya. While they were good, strong friends, he initially couldn't find it in himself to disconnect her from the memory of her mother. But in the wake of a particularly emotional case, where she practically tied herself to the train track for him, he found himself smoothing out the grudge to where it became no more harmless than a butter knife. Recent testimony proved that his tolerance of Spirit Mediums had grown beautifully, with him even being curious about their craft. So those old wounds between the Chief Prosecutor and the young Spirit Medium? Ancient relics.

Maya planted a kiss on her old friend's cheek. "Oh, for once in your life, will you PLEASE just relax? It's gonna be fine! Chief Edgeworth's totally gonna love tonight, you'll see, and he'll be all over you once this is over! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get the guest of honor! The Chief will be here soon, so I've gotta get Papa in here!"

"Fabulous," Phoenix sighed, face as white as the moon. "I'll leave you to it. I'm afraid this might be the last time I see you, though. Well, you'll see me again, but as the victim of a new murder case."

Before beginning her descent into the spirit world, Maya took one of the pillows and hit her friend with it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Court Record entry: Thanks for coming! I'm glad you're joining Phoenix and Maya on this new adventure of theirs. I hope you go on enjoying it, as much as I enjoy writing it!_

 _Larry wasn't in the story's original blueprint, but since Maya's about to channel someone pretty close to Miles, I thought his two Musketeers should be there with him. Larry will make it easier for me to tie in the song this story is named after, too. Maya was originally going to usher in the song but it there were too many loose ends in that plan._

 _This story was originally named 'Spirits and Sanctuaries', lightly inspired by the Kingdom Hearts 2 theme 'Sanctuary', but after listening to about a thousand covers of 'Lost in Thoughts All Alone', feeling like the lyrics fit Miles Edgeworth beautifully, I couldn't keep myself from changing direction. No worries-it'll all come clear very soon!_

 _Please enjoy, and thank you very much for reading!_

* * *

Maya Fey, in the center of Phoenix Wright's office, shut her eyes and clasped her hands together. A channeling was on its way to being delivered, but a second after she declared her will to jump into it, the Steel Samurai theme cut her off. Coming from her oldest friend's phone. "Hold on, Maya," Phoenix told her gently, removing his phone from his chest pocket. "It's Edgeworth."

She watched the conversation between them unfold, eyes overflowing with curiosity. The Chief Prosecutor was on the other end of the universe, but the tension within Phoenix's tone alerted her to a change in plans. The call ended in just a few minutes, with a defeated attorney delivering the news. "We've got another hour," he sighed, shoulders slumped.

"He's being held up at the office, going through case files. He promises to get here as soon as he can, though."

The Master of Kurain's sacred art stuck out her tongue, vexed, but only for a moment. With a smile brighter than a meteor, she leapt to her feet and pranced into the office's kitchen. "No worries," the young Lady of Kurain sang. "I'll make tea for us while we wait! And stop being such a Grumpy Gus, Nick. I keep telling you everything's going to be just fine!"

"Wish I could believe you," the attorney groaned, heartache causing him to melt into the office's sofa. Suddenly feeling a hundred times smaller, Phoenix found it impossible to keep his mind off the evening's darker possibilities. Mia and Larry urged him to take a more optimistic approach to life, but only found that easy when his children were involved. When it came to situations that had his name stamped all over them, Trucy's father found it all too easy to slump into a show of defeat.

"Your enthusiasm is much appreciated, though. I'd be nothing with it, Maya, so thank you."

"What's the deal with you feeling so down, anyway?" the young Spirit Medium asked, as she worked her way through the agency's kitchen, preparing a kettle of tea. Two cups and bags for tea-perfect. A night of fragrant magic was well on its way. "I thought you'd be happy about Edgeworth finally being able to see his father again. I know I'm excited! Pearl was the only one that could have possibly channeled Edgeworth's old man, but now that I finally know what I'm doing, I can be of some use!"

After Maya's last words drove a stake through his heart, Phoenix gave her a warm chuckle. Her determination to honor the friendship she shared with Edgeworth never failed to put a smile on his face. Nice to know he had more than a second-rate attorney and a dumbbell named Larry Butz to count on.

"Even after all of these years, you're still intent on paying him back?"

"Of course I am," she shot at him, youthful jubilance and energy shining through every word. "But now that I think about it, I don't think I'll ever be able to pay him back. He's done way too much for me. I guess all I can hope to do is make him happy. Yeah, that'll be enough for me."

Silence crept into the agency, even washing away the music wafting through the air. Maya broke it after a moment, her voice as gentle as the silence that had tied them even closer together.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that what _you_ want to do? Make him happy?"

Phoenix reflected on a world of memories in a minute of silence. Reflected on how far his children, his Apollo, Trucy and Athena, had come. Reflected on how warm Apollo's smile was, as he joked about Trucy joining Mr Terran on the moon. "Yeah, more than _anything,"_ he nodded, smiling, knowing everyone else close to his heart was all right. Apollo still had a lot of healing left to do, but he'd be all right. That smile of his proved it. He'd eventually be all right. So there was only one thing left to do-let Edgeworth know he was close to the shore.

"I'm just wondering if I'm going about it the right way. I'm forever in your debt, Maya. Always have been, always will be. But maybe I should've just gotten him a box of chocolates or something."

Maya unwittingly slammed the kettle on the stove, spirit burrowing deep into frustration. "Nice try, Nick. You're not getting out of answering my question. The court orders you to speak, so speak you shall! Testify about why you're afraid of me channeling Gregory Edgeworth for the prosecution!"

Silence wrapped itself around them for another moment in time, leading them deeper into an evening kissed by candles. Phoenix spoke after what felt like an eternity, his voice soft, fearful. Sad. "Some wounds are better left untouched," he said, as if he were reciting a line from a dream.

"I want Miles to see his father again, really, but…I'm afraid all it'll do is hurt him. Remind him of everything he lost. Remind him of the life he was forced to live under Manfred von Karma."

Maya's voice became as soft as the moonlight falling from the sky. "Nick, Mr von Karma's gone," she reminded him, referring to a date buried in the annals of memory. A time and place better left forgotten. "He can't hurt our Edgeworth anymore. He's safe. Remember?"

Heart heavier than the rising moon, Phoenix rebutted. "He may not be gone, Maya. Not for Miles. We don't know because he's kept everything hidden. Carefully hidden. Bringing his father back for him, even just for a few seconds, might be disastrous. Everything brought to the surface all at once? What if it breaks him?"

"Nick, isn't this about you letting Edgeworth Junior just how much you love him? Didn't you say you wanted to prove your love to him by closing the distance between him and big Mr Edgeworth?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then stick to your guns, partner," the Spirit Medium demanded, vibrant love pouring out of every syllable. Out of the kitchen she bolted, tea tray in hand. Two steaming cups of nourishment at the ready. "With the two of us here," she continued, setting the tray down with a smile made of stardust. "Nothing will break our Edgeworth down! And you'll be here, right? You'll be here to pick up the pieces if he falls apart, right? Just as you've done for Apollo?"

"Of course I will!"

Maya punched him in the shoulder, then sat next to him on the sofa. "Then stop being such a fuss-budget," she ordered, playful scowl lighting her face as the stars graced the night. Phoenix chuckled, eyes twinkling.

"I'll try. Thanks, Maya."

A second passed before he fell right off the sofa, tea cup and all. Maya sighed, not at all bothered by the ruined cup of tea but by her friend quickly breaking his vow. Over someone simply knocking on the door. "Sheesh, Nick," she scolded, rising to her feet to answer the request for an audience.

"You already said baby Edgeworth wasn't going to be here for another hour. It might just be a client or something."

While the veteran attorney scrambled to clean up his mess, all the while hoping a certain Chief Prosecutor wasn't on the other side of the door, Maya answered the call for an audience. The moment she laid her hand on the doorknob, assuring the other their request would be granted in just a few seconds, Phoenix felt a blade skewer his heart. _What if it IS Miles? I know I just got off the phone with him but anything could have happened to make him leave earlier! What if the channeling is closer than I-_

"Larry! Hi! What are _you_ doing here?"

Relief surged through Phoenix's veins like electricity bringing the world out of a blackout. "Just thought I'd drop by for a quick chat," Phoenix's old friend (or was it bad luck charm?) grinned, gliding into the agency. "You know, invite ol' Nick to my girl Bunny's concert because she's like, the greatest singer on Earth, but I see you guys are a little busy." He eyed the candles, took a whiff of the tea, the aroma of lavender-

"Um, Nick?"

"What?" the attorney answered, still cleaning up the spilled chamomile tea.

Larry looked very much like a child that had just lost his pet. "Where's everyone else?"

"The kids are out and about. Why do you ask?"

"Nick! You should be ashamed of yourself! Here I was, thinking you were someday gonna pop th' question to our Edgey, and here you are gettin' it on with _Maya?!"_

" _As if!_ Larry, _you_ should be ashamed of _yourself!_ No one's getting it on with anyone in here!"

"I set the stage for a channeling," Maya explained with a radiant smile and warm chuckle, clasping Larry's hands. "You know about my village's sacred art, right?"

The Butz winked at her. "Sure do. Nick over there told me about it, once upon a time. Why, what's up?"

"Nothing much," the young Fey answered, her tone betraying her words. "I'm just about to channel Edgey's father for him! And it was all _Nick's_ idea! Nick's gonna confess his love to the one and only Miles Edgeworth, not me!"

"Awesome! I've always wanted to meet Edgey's dad. Whenever he told us about him, he made the guy sound like a super hero. Mind if I stick around?"

"Not at all," Maya giggled. "The more the merrier. This is gonna be a pretty important night for Edgeworth Junior anyways, so I'm glad you stopped by! Aren't you, Nick?"

"Yeah, thrilled," the attorney groaned, squeezing a towel out over the kitchen sink. "No offense, Larry. Just letting you know you're not just in for a family reunion. When Edgeworth goes on trial for my murder, make sure to go easy on him, okay? Tell the court he had every right to do it."

"Just make yourself at home, Larry," Maya instructed him, patting him on the back with a smile made of Spring. "Don't pay any attention to that grumpy dwarf over there. Do whatever you want while I get things ready. Edgey said he'll be here in an hour, so I've got to make sure his dad's here to greet him!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three preview: "The kids, Apollo, Trucy, Athena,-they're gone for a while. We're all there is, Edgeworth. You, me, Larry, the detective, and…your father."_

* * *

"Mr Wright seemed really intent on havin' you over tonight, Chief Prosecutor, sir. You think everything's all right?"

He turned to his partner and confidant, the one and only Detective Dick Gumshoe, with eyes of the deepest calm. Unbreakable even when the future threatened to swallow everything whole, Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth spoke gently, serenely.

"I'm sure all is well. You have no need for worries, Detective."

Quiet winds of panic settled themselves in the pit of the detective's stomach, creating a stream of worries. "Think they'll be all right with me comin' along? I have th' feelin' I'm about to intrude on a family matter, Chief, sir."

The voice met his words was forever gentle, somewhat stern but kind. "What did I just tell you, Detective? There's no need for concern. They've always been all right with my baggage cart-I see no need for a change in opinions now."

The phrase 'baggage cart' should've been a harsh one, and would've been coming from anyone else. But the words laced in unwavering calm, coming from the Chief Prosecutor, brought a warm smile to Gumshoe's face. In acknowledgement of their growing friendship, he dropped the 'pal' whenever speaking to Edgeworth and replaced it with 'sir'. Miles Edgeworth, in turn, spoke even softer than before. With affectionate phrases like 'baggage cart' in tow. But that, like all of his other affectionate terms, conveyed a constant need for Gumshoe's presence. A need that always put a smile on the detective's face. However, the worries didn't end there. He had one more to voice.

"Sir…it's your father's birthday, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, Detective," came the painfully cool answer.

"You really all right with cutting your plans short? I mean-"

Edgeworth cut into his worries with deceptively tranquil words formed into a karate chop. Gumshoe couldn't miss the fierce speed of the other's reply, knowing all too well how important a certain birthday was. "It'll be all right, Gumshoe," the Chief Prosecutor snapped, ice blanketing every word. The words were gentle but not at all light. Sure, Edgeworth referring to him as 'Gumshoe' was infrequent, but that moment sent a gale of ice through the detective's spine.

"We'll see what this is all about, then I'll return to my office. Please stop making mountains out of molehills."

Clutching a bouquet of magnolias to his chest, Gumshoe caught a good look at the fire within his friend's eyes. The prosecutor pretended to be a statue but the wildfire surging through his eyes painted a much different picture. Bringing up a certain birthday caused the flames to be lit, but it was something the detective couldn't ignore. Whenever that day arrived on Edgeworth's calendar, the paragon of calm spent most of the day and night inside his office. Without company. Actions unknown and thoughts unclear, but emotions just as clear as Gumshoe's salary cuts. So Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth driving over to the agency, on such a precious night? _Sure, it's always nice seein' the gang and all, and I'm sure Miss Fey's gonna love these flowers, but-_

"Try not to let them fly out the window, Detective. I'd appreciate it."

Jumping out of his thoughts and back into the present, Gumshoe brought the flowers even closer to his chest. The windows were down in celebration of the warm evening breeze, but letting the magnolias dance upon the breeze wouldn't have been at all acceptable. The flowers were a gift, after all, for the one and only Maya Fey. Wright told them she was visiting the agency, fresh off the final stages of her training, so she deserved a special gift. "Sorry, sir, I'll take better care of 'em," the detective apologized frantically, bundling them so close they wouldn't have a chance at flying away.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, a blanket of fog that birthed a river of sweat on Gumshoe's brow. Fortunately, there were only a few minutes of their journey left. Detective and prosecutor soon made their descent from Edgeworth's car, Edgeworth refusing Gumshoe's attempt to open his door. Never accustomed to being treated like royalty, a scowling prosecutor locked his car and began walking towards the agency, detective forever at his side.

Magnolias close at hand, heart on fire, the detective suddenly found breathing difficult for a reason he could not explain. _Just a simple visit, right? Maybe an evening chat. Maybe it's just Wright finally wanting to let the Chief know how he feels. That's all. Nothing's wrong, right?_

Seconds were like hours. A wide-eyed Gumshoe watched as Edgeworth knocked on the door, gently interrupting the evening tranquility. One minute, two minutes, three minutes-something was going on. No answer came from the other side. With the prosecutor giving his confidant a glare of confusion, Gumshoe voiced the thought running through both of their minds.

"What's goin' on? Wright invited you, didn't he? Don't tell me he's not even here!"

Edgeworth opened his mouth to respond, but the door to the Wright Anything Agency was quickly thrust open-done so by a strangely frantic Phoenix Wright. With an increasingly stunned prosecutor taking the flowers from his friend's hands, Edgeworth immediately found himself in what promised to be a vortex of strange proportions. "Hi, hi, good morning-I mean, good evening," Phoenix panted, not at all ushering either one of them in. He seemed intent on preventing both of them from entering, truth be told. Gumshoe, on the tips of his toes, tried to see what the attorney could have possibly been hiding.

"Hi there, Edgeworth, Gumshoe! Welcome! Nice of you to drop by!"

Edgeworth was never one to mince words, especially when he felt a situation was not in his control. "Wright," he began, tone laden with ice and steel. "Please explain yourself. I know it was forward of me to bring Gumshoe, but-"

Phoenix cut off his thoughts instantly, like an arrow piercing a bull's eye. "Oh no no no, not at all," the attorney laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "You and Gumshoe, what a pair, huh? You two would be lost without each other! You go together like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, vanilla and ice cream cones, French fries and-"

"Wright. Pardon me, but I'm having trouble deciding whether I should be confused or furious. You haven't acted this strangely since our final days in the classroom."

Laughing even still, the increasingly nervous attorney came up with a response but then snatched the flowers out of Edgeworth's arms. "Aw, how sweet, for me? Thank you! You've always been such a gentleman, Edgeworth!"

"They aren't for YOU, you ignoramus, they're for _Miss Fey!"_

"That's right, pal," Gumshoe put in, not knowing whether to be amused or concerned with Phoenix's behavior. "Isn't she here? Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth wanted to congratulate her on completing her training!"

"Yeah, about her-um, she's kinda busy at the moment." After a round of uproarious laughter coming from an obviously nervous attorney, Phoenix pressed on. "But guess what? Larry's here! Say hi, Larry!"

Completely unexpected by the prosecutor, Larry's response was lukewarm. His presence wasn't at all strange, but whenever the Butz was anything less than cheerful, something was definitely off.

"Heeeey, Edgey, Gummy. How's it goin'?"

"Great, huh? Gang's all here, The Three Musketeers, together again! Here, I'm gonna go put these in a vase and I'll be RIGHT BACK! Promise!"

"I've made my decision," a frowning prosecutor declared, after Phoenix oh-so-ceremoniously slammed the door in their faces. "I'm worried. Very worried. And confused. Is this how one acts when playing a prank, Detective?"

"I dunno, Chief Prosecutor, sir," Gumshoe replied, always overflowing with warm joy whenever Edgeworth asked for his counsel, but increasingly bewildered by the unfolding situation. "And I know-I've had quite a few pranks pulled on me! But this? I dunno, Edgeworth sir. I DID, however, see candles."

The one at his side turned to him, eyes widened in alarm. Looking very much like a curious pup. "Candles?"

"Yep, Edgeworth sir, candles! Place was full of 'em! Didn't see nothin' else, but the more I think about it, the more I think I've got the answer! Maybe Miss Maya Fey bein' here was a lie, sir! Wright just pulled out her name t' get you over here! And the other kids aren't around! I don't hear any of 'em!"

"Detective, what you're suggesting is _preposterous!"_

"Is it, really, Edgeworth sir? If it was really that 'preposterous', your face wouldn't be as red as my bank account! Think about it! Why else could Wright be actin' so weird?! This ain't normal, sir! You said so yourself-he hasn't acted like this in forever!"

"All right then," a flustered Chief Prosecutor snapped, arms folded, foot tapping. "Explain why _Larry's_ in there!"

"Moral support! You guys are th' Three Musketeers, right?! Wow, this _really_ is a big night! I'm definitely stoked about bein' along for the ride, now! Finally, I finally get to see Wright tell all!"

With a face as red as a rose, Edgeworth balled his hands into fists. A sure sign of not only frustration but sweet, sweet embarrassment. "Detective Dick Gumshoe, I demand you _stop_ this ridiculous line of thought at once! Honestly, in all of my days, I have never-"

The second the door opened, it was all Edgeworth could do to keep himself from falling off the doorway. That time, though, the door was opened slowly. With a no longer nervous but worried, fearful Phoenix Wright at the helm. Edgeworth turned to Gumshoe, Gumshoe turned to Edgeworth, both faces wreathed in astonishment-

And Phoenix laid a hand on the prosecutor's shoulder. "Sorry about that. Just had to make sure everything's in place. But before I let either of you in-"

"Wright-"

"Please promise me something. This was my idea. It wasn't Maya's or Larry's. If you're going to get mad at anyone, please get mad at me. Not them. They have nothing to do with this."

Frowning with even deeper confusion, Edgeworth spoke in an abnormally tender tone. "Should I be this uncomfortable?"

"What's goin' on, pal?" the detective growled, none too happy with his conclusion being thrown out the window. "If this is some kind of joke you're playin' on the Chief Prosecutor, I'm gonna let you have it, I swear it! Like nothin' else, pal, just you watch!"

A ray of sadness pierced the attorney's face. "This isn't a joke, Gumshoe. It's anything _but_ a joke." He returned his eyes to Edgeworth, his eyes made of the softest, most loving emotions.

"You have to promise me. Promise me you won't get angry at either of them. Let it be me, okay?"

The gentle innocence Edgeworth carried as a child returned, wrapping itself around his tone and eyes for the first time in a lifetime. "…you sure you aren't playing a prank on me, Wright? Larry didn't put you up to anything, did he?"

Phoenix shook his head, hand still on Edgeworth's shoulder. "No. If this were _only_ a prank. Edgeworth, you remember the sacred art of Kurain, right? Their art of channeling spirits?"

"Of course I do. You know I do. But-"

Biting his bottom lip, the attorney gently ushered Edgeworth into the agency, then Gumshoe. "We're the only ones here," he let the know, sadness and fear rising in a voice made of the softest moonlight.

"The kids, Apollo, Trucy, Athena,-they're gone for a while. We're all there is, Edgeworth. You, me, Larry, the detective, and…your father."

"My fa-wait, Wright, what is this?"

"Make yourself at home, Gumshoe," Phoenix urged his friend, his voice a frantic whisper. But like Larry, Gumshoe was transfixed by the scene unfolding before them. Larry's face was a solemn portrait of anticipation, Gumshoe could hear his own heartbeat, and-

Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth, had his eyes locked on the one in the center of the room.

Maya Fey was there, all right, but at the same time she wasn't. In her place was-

"Good evening, Miles."


	4. Chapter 4

_Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth, had his eyes locked on the one in the center of the room._

 _Maya Fey was there, all right, but at the same time she wasn't. In her place was-_

 _"Good evening, Miles."_

* * *

"Now I know why I felt the way I did," Detective Dick Gumshoe murmured, the air being torn out of him. Nestled in between a quiet but frantic Phoenix, and a solemn Larry, the detective continued giving a voice to his concerns. The Chief Prosecutor, someone he had just been with a few seconds ago, was no longer even aware he existed. Nor he was aware of anyone else in the room, Phoenix included.

Gumshoe's voice was as soft as the candles Maya had lit, but heavy with a boiling cauldron of concern, fear. "What exactly is goin' on here, pals?"

Phoenix answered quickly, his voice as quiet as the evening calm but also loud with emotion. Knowing he and Miles Edgeworth had suddenly become separated by a million miles drove knives through his heart. But the distance between them could not be helped, as he bore no wish to stop the scene before him-no matter how catastrophic it would ultimately be.

"I asked Maya to channel the spirit of Edgeworth's father."

And right there, in the glowing embers of the Wright Anything Agency's living room, two souls were reunited. Two souls that never should've been separated were brought back together. Only for a short while, but having believed they'd never see each other again, even a minute would give them an eternity of relief. But the face of the younger Edgeworth was blank. Even more so than it had been ever before. Phoenix and even Larry had seen their friend devoid of emotion, in their later years, but that night saw Miles with even less emotion than a piece of paper. "This might be bad," Larry murmured, not only to his friends but to himself, head bowed.

"Edgey's _never_ been like this before. Sure, he threw me some pretty weird looks when I dressed up as the Steel Samurai on his birthday, last year, but he's _never_ been like this."

Phoenix could only watch as the only one he had ever truly loved stared at Maya Fey, the host for Gregory Edgeworth's spirit. The young woman, so jubilant, so excited, just minutes ago, had temporarily vanished, euphorically sending out Miles' father. And there the two of them were, in a world of the softest candlelight, facing each other for the first time in a lifetime. Sure, the uniform of Kurain's Master was there, but the face, the eyes-it was all the same. All of it.

"I hear you've been well, son. "

Even the voice. It was all the same. All that was missing were the glasses.

The very glasses sitting on Miles' face.

Always one to rescue his friends, Larry threw himself into the fray. "Yeah, he's been a real handful, sir," the Butz grinned, trying so hard to sound cheerful. "A real pain in the butt at times, but we love 'im! Good ol' Edgey, bein' a bad-ass and takin' names in court! The biggest, baddest superhero of 'em all! Right, Nick?"

"Right, sir," Phoenix nodded vigorously, tormented by the option of taking Miles into his arms and staying right where he was. As desperately as he wanted to bring Miles close, he knew that even just touching him with a finger would cause him to break. He could only take comfort in knowing that Gumshoe suffered from being forced into the same decision. For a completely different reason, but it was there, all the same, that chain of light binding them together.

Phoenix pressed on, not at all wanting silence to make its way into that room, not even for a second. _I'll take the slowest, most painful death before allowing the room to fall silent. It's my fault this is happening, but something within me wants it to keep going. I can't let this time Gregory Edgeworth has with his son to go to waste. I just can't._

Forcing a smile onto his face, the attorney kept on going. "Miles has become quite the prosecutor, sir. As a matter of fact, he's become _Chief Prosecutor."_

Ah. There it was.

At that very moment, Phoenix realized he had made the worst possible mistake. Even greater than asking Maya to summon Gregory's spirit.

The flash of pain on Miles' face made that excruciatingly clear.

The softness, the warmth of Gregory's voice drove the knife even deeper. "I'm aware of that," came the gentle words, wrapped in warm laughter and affection.

"Quite an amazing feat, yes. Thank you for being a part of my son's accomplishments, gentlemen. You have my deepest gratitude."

"You knew he became Chief Prosecutor, sir?" the detective asked, speaking as if Gregory's spirit were made of glass, and could be broken by a voice any louder than a murmur. Gumshoe's spirit brimmed with sadness and the deepest compassion, all for a friend he had loved for a lifetime. "Excuse me for asking, sir," Gumshoe continued, internally swearing not to use the word 'pal' for someone he held in higher regard than a king.

"With all due respect, how could you possibly know that? When the two of you were together, wasn't Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth a teeny tiny baby?"

"Simple, Gumshoe," Phoenix answered, gently taking the baton away from Gregory. "He's been watching over his son, all of this time."

"In more ways than one, yes. And once again, I'd like to thank all of you gentlemen. Thank you very much for taking good care of him. I have very little to worry about with all of you looking after him."

"Whaddya mean, 'very little to worry about'?! I'll have you know that we're on the job, bro, and we do our job well!"

"Hey, can it, pal! This is Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth's father you're talkin' to here! Show some respect!"

"It's all right, Gumshoe," Phoenix said soothingly, patting the livid detective on the back. His eyes, capturing the light dancing throughout their living room, became warm. Calm and loving. "Larry knows, and he's only trying to help. Nothing stinks this time. Isn't that right, Larry?"

"That's right, and you better recognize, Mr Edgeworth sir! We're taking good care of your son and that's that, so you don't have ANYTHING to worry about!"

"You'd better start worrying a lot more, sir," Phoenix playfully warned a laughing Gregory. "If we were to leave your son in that man's hands, for even a second, I'm afraid Miles would be joining you."

"Stop it."

All eyes, the eyes of Gregory's spirit included, dove right onto Miles. The air, in no more than a second, became thicker, heavier than mud. "What did you say, Miles?" the veteran attorney asked, speaking as if the prosecutor would shatter with anything louder than a whisper. But he did shatter, and his next words proved it.

"I said _stop it! Stop it, all of you!_ Silence your ridiculous babble! We may share the last name but I am _not_ that man's son!"


End file.
